


Call Me Not

by Rhohel_of_the_Shire



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Disabled Character, F/M, Female Bilbo, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-12
Updated: 2015-07-19
Packaged: 2018-04-04 03:00:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 21,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4123347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rhohel_of_the_Shire/pseuds/Rhohel_of_the_Shire
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was something that no race was immune to, and it happened at different points in everyone's life. First it was an elf from Mirkwood, then a dwarfling from the Blue Mountains, next was a kindly Hobbit of the Shire, and finally it was the heir of Gondor. They refused their Calling and then were Punished. They will change the future of Middle-Earth. Whether they want to or not.</p><p>Inspired by Avatar:The Last Airbender</p><p>On HIATUS until later date.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Called to Arms

**Author's Note:**

> This was an idea I've had in my brain forever and it is slowly killing me not to write this. This is inspired by Avatar:The Last Airbender. I may have changed the timelines to fit my needs and plans for this story. Just letting you know, and sorry if the first chapter is a little fast but I'm setting the stage for the story. After this chapter the story will begin to even out into a slow burn.
> 
> Oh and if you guys want you can choose from these three pairings, and if enough people lean one way or I make up my mind there will be a definite pairing.
> 
> Pairings: Female Bilbo Baggins/Aragorn, son of Arathorn
> 
> Female Bilbo Baggins/Legolas Greenleaf
> 
> Female Bilbo Baggins/Fili
> 
> Rating: T
> 
> The Hobbit belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien.

It starts as a longing sensation, to want to be near and dear to the elements itself.

Then there is the need to be near a specific element.

Next, the afflicted person begins a certain degree of control over said element.

Finally, said person is to seek out others that master the element so they themselves can learn it.

There is a drawback, however, and it  _will affect_ the person until they become masters of their own element and teach their knowledge to another student. This is only used for people who refuse the Call, and over time the numbers of these people have grown. Though they should know that there is no escape from the Call and have learned this lesson the hard way.

Children and adults from all races have been Called by this need to learn and control; they then learn to get along with the other races during the period of time known as the Wandering. Then they learn to use their elements in groups with the same affinity in a period of time called the Apprenticing. After learning to completely be at one with their element they experience a time called the Mentoring before they feel the hold on their instincts be released and they can integrate into their old culture again or join their new one. They were legends.

They were the Elements Benders.

Fili, son of Dis, experienced the first tendrils of the Call when he was forty-five and was still considered a small child in the race of the dwarrows. He was always close to the earth as all dwarrows were, but he was continuously found trying to sneak into the mines to be as close as he could to the earth. His uncle and mother were always seen rushing to the mines in the Blue Mountains' mines to retrieve the child and brought him home even if he was kicking and screaming.

Then when he was nearing forty-seven he had been playing in the dirt with his little brother Kili when he moved the boulder that was in their little play area. It may not have moved much but it was enough for Fili to realize something was wrong with him. After his mother had told him that he must have had some imagination to conjure a tale like that he knew that he would never be believed.

Kili, like the little angel he was, encouraged Fili to follow his instincts and the two dwarflings were often seen playing with the stones and earth around them. When people weren't watching them it was Kili who sat atop large rocks while Fili moved them. He moved the rocks and earth while swift movements of his feet or strong stances with his arms and hands.

When he was forty-eight, Fili was sick and delirious with the need to leave Ered Luin and was confined to his room by the healer Oin. His mother watched with tears in her eyes and a hand over her mouth as he finally strapped to the bed after his many escape attempts. His sickness lasted for months and he, himself, refused to follow the Call if only for the sake of his family.

He was not yet forty-nine when he went blind; screaming in the early mornings for his mother and for Mahal to give him back his sight. Dis had cried as she lead him outside two days after he went blind and was awestruck as her son maneuvered through crowds as if he could see. Though the milky white eyes that stared her dead in the eyes told her that he was blind and when she asked him to tell her how he moved he smiled.

"Its like I can see the vibrations in the ground Amad!"

Through all this he suffered the Call and finally broke when his uncle traveled to Bree in order to get enough money to feed their family in the Winter months. He left in the dead of night and took clothes and a meager amount of food with him in his desperation to get his aching need to stop. Fili would never hear the anguished screams of his brother and mother when they woke the morning to find that the blonde prince was gone.

As he traversed the lands East he met a hobbit.

Belle Baggins was descended from a respectable line of Hobbits and an adventurous one as well, she was ten when she began wanting to swim. Despite the Hobbits adversity to water she found that she could swim better than some of the Rangers that stopped by the Shire. Her mother was shouting her prayers to Yavanna when she first caught sight of the fauntling paddling through water, and she was forever grateful when her husband plucked the small child from the tiny pond.

She was eleven when she began fussing for more milk during dinner, and after her father declined to give her more he was shocked to see his daughter flick her wrist and the milk in the pitcher flew up out of the porcelain. Then it began to shake as it floated in the air before falling on the table and all over the pie her father baked that morning. Her instincts told her to seek out the Brandywine River so she could see how much control she possessed, but in honor of her father's respectability she didn't.

The aching need to follow these impulses was nearly crippling in her opinion and when she refused to follow the thoughts that meant for her to leave the Shire she got ill. Very ill indeed.

Her large ears were red and her mind was frazzled and even Gandalf the Grey couldn't seem to find what was wrong with the small child.

The next day after she got sick, Belle lost her hearing.

The cries and sobs that she made even made her horrid cousin-to-be Lobelia Bracegirdle feel bad for the young girl and when the fever lingered for weeks Belladonna and Bungo Baggins feared for Belle's life.

Before Belle was even twelve she up and left the Shire completely, leaving only a goodbye note and taking a large pack of food and clothes along with Belladonna's walking stick. For many days she alluded Rangers and animals before she met up with a dwarf. Her mind told her to trust the dwarf and she read his lips to communicate.

"I can't hear you," she told him after meeting the blonde.

"I can't see you," he informed her as they settled for the night. Belle sharing her rations with him and Fili giving her his blanket for the night.

It was a week after the left the borders of Bree they met an elf.

Legolas was the prince of the Woodland Realm and had fended off the Call for centuries for the sake of his father, who had spent many centuries a widow. He was unable to talk to the two and written words in Westron for Belle to read and tell Fili. He was a mute hunter who helped extended their supplies, and due to his tall stature and being of age in the eyes of Elves he became their protecter.

He remembered when the Call started, and even though he couldn't remember how old he was at the time all he knew was that the sky and air called out to him. So he spent most of his childhood and teen years jumping through trees to experience the air and was well into his 8th century when he controlled a bitter wind from the south. His father watching as a small barrier protected him and Legolas from the bitter cold breeze, and he immediately confined Legolas to the Palace in order to stop these phenomenons.

His worry drove him to keep his son in isolation and it grew more when the elf grew sick in his 9th century; and with a heavy heart he had been forced to see his son loose his voice. The sweet chimes that kept Thranduil going was taken from him and to keep his greenleaf from following his heart's urges Legolas was locked in his room. For decades he attempted many escapes and finally succeeded one night during Mirith-En-Gillith when the guards at his doors were drunk.

Then after leaving the Mirkwood with nothing but a bow and his quiver of arrows he stayed in the care of Radagast the Brown for many centuries after. Then the Call had returned full force and he departed West and met up with a dwarfling and a fauntling. The two felt much better after meeting him and they continued East and it was near the Citadel of the Kindly West they met Aragorn.

He was a young teen at the age eighteen when he met the three travelers, and he had first called himself Estel before flat out telling them his birth name. Aragorn told him of his lineage without a care and in the hours after meeting the human they found he lost his emotions.

Telling the others of his story didn't faze the young Man.

"My mother was slain by orcs and I watched as my father was eaten by wargs. It was then that I wanted fire, and I ignored all the signs and everything until I just didn't feel anything. Then after being taking in by Lord Elrond and his kin it was then that I felt the need to be here, and in order to be here I set fire to Elrohir and Elladan. "

"That's sad," the young hobbit murmured as Fili held her in his arms.

"It's life," he responded.

They then headed for the place called Eryn Vorn after seeking their hearts for council, and they all had been through the wear and tare of the weather during their journey. Fili was comforting Belle who was doing the worst out of the four of them, and over time she got used to the cold treatments of Aragorn and the rations they were forced to. Legolas often let the hobbit atop his shoulder when she could take no more and by the time they had reached Eryn Vorn Belle had turned twelve, Fili was fifty-one, Legolas refused to give his age but gave them a hint as to the centuries he lived. Aragorn was now nineteen and despite him not feeling emotions he was closest to Belle.

In the woods that lie in the region of Eryn Vorn they found sanctuary, and began to drift apart towards towards their elements.

~.~.~.

Belle was thirteen when she mastered the basics of water and among the elves and humans that shared her affinity she blossomed. Even though she was the only Little Folk who was Called to the Water she began to get good at her element. Her apprenticing under a human woman named Hildigard she mastered Water using her patience and did it faster than the others who were Apprenticing.

Her Mastery lead her to be the youngest Master to Mentor a group of three elves, one dwarf, and five humans and due to their slow learning she spent three years teaching them.

"Master Belle! Let me out!" a young she-elf cried out from her icy cage. It was all for naught when she saw that Belle's back was turned on her and she sat in a huff as Belle kept her attention elsewhere for hours. While the hobbit was sorry for the elf who lost her fertility she was not sorry for putting her in her place, and she was rightly so. The blonde elf was seen trying to encase her fellow 'benders', as the Masters called them, in ice during the dead of night so she could get one-on-one teaching from Belle.

A smile crossed Belle's face as she watched Fili surf into her little lake area on a wave of earth, and in his hands was her lunch. He stopped short of the lake Belle was waist deep in and tossed her a water-skin filled with milk and three apples. Other Earth-Benders came to her students rescue with food of them, each getting a water-skin with refreshments of their choice and three apples.

Fili was a rather fast-learner and became a Master at the age of fifty-three; he was the proud Mentor of ten dwarves, two hobbits, and one human. His approach to teaching them was similar's to Belle's while his punishments were reminiscent to that of Aragorn's. The human made his student run the perimeter of Eryn Vorn with nothing but their clothes and a water-skin of stagnant water, courtesy of Belle. He was the proud Master of Fire and had finished mentoring his group of students before taking on more.

When he was twenty-three he gained back his emotions after his fifth group of students, and while he Mastered Fire with ease Legolas was the last to Master.

The elf was the only student to two Mentors and he spent four years learning the basics of air and four months to Master. Just when he finished his Apprenticing he had one student come in and smiled at the little dwarf. He was shocked to see her Master in six months and even more to gain three more students after the little dwarf.

While he, Belle, and Fili never gained their senses back they were more than happy for Aragorn. It was when Aragorn took on a sixth class they heard news of unrest from the people of Arda. People of all races were alarmed as children and adults left their towns and cities only to never be seen again. When Legolas and Belle took on a third class and Fili his second there were no others who the Call took.

For a year after the last Mastery, there was no students to come to Eryn Vorn and the town of dozens were now kept to themselves. It wasn't all that bad, since the town was composed of people of all four races who could live in harmony. Though the races tended to live in their own sections, and while the hobbits made the smallest group of ten the dwarves rounded out to twenty-five. Humans singled out to a good nineteen, while elves lived happily in a group of thirty. After many couples got together the numbers started to grow.

Fili was sixty when he and the three he came with had left Eryn Vorn on a whim; a whim that they felt since the Call receded. The dwarf could feel an unrest in the Earth and Belle tasted bitter evil in the Water. A dry dead Wind disturbed Legolas while Aragorn was frightened to feel that the Fires began to grow cold.

It was with heavy heart that they left their town that rested in the large canopy of Eryn Vorn, and they all turned to wave goodbye to the hanging village before heading out. Legolas went north and followed to dead wind with three others at his back, one whom was not yet twenty!

When they finally saw civilization in Michel Delwing, Belle couldn't look at the other hobbits whom gave them a wide berth as they walked down windy roads. Her hands at the ready for any sign of trouble and Aragorn calmed her from lashing out. Though when they arrived in Hobbiton, Fili heard news of the Mad Belladonna who up and left her grand smial with a group of fourteen dwarves. Many calling for the deed of the home seeing as her spouse Bungo was killed in the Fell Winter and there was none who lived in the hobbit-hole.

Belle cried into Fili's arms when he relayed the news to her and they began to track the Company of Dwarves and the Grey Wizard. She was desperate to see her mother after nine nearly ten years of separation, and he sad puppy eyes had Legolas succumbing to her will. He would mumble under his breath about how unfair it was that she had him twisted around his finger if he could, but settled on kicking stones down the path to Bree.

It was on the East Road that Fili saw the vibrations in the Earth that lead him to a giant boulder, behind he could feel the vibrations of three trolls and fifteen of the Little Folk. While he couldn't tell the time of night it was he knew it was late since Belle and Aragorn were sleeping as Legolas took third watch. Pushing his legs and feet into a horse stance (See notes at bottom), his bare feet surged forward while his fists were raised upwards. Bending the stone to his will he then used the boulder to crush one troll.

The sudden appearance of young Fili, who didn't even had a grown beard while he braided his mustache, had started the hobbit and dwarrow that were in the camp. A wicked smile was on his face as he thrust a palm up towards the boulder and kicked his left foot out and the boulder rolled over the next troll. A whip of water had stopped him from doing the same to the last troll and he tilted his head as the troll turned to stone before him.

The little hobbit had extinguished the fire that seven dwarves were roasted on before tugging on Fili's tunic harshly.

"We gotta go Fili! Legolas is ready to push on!"

He nodded and began to turn with her when a deep baritone voice stopped him, "Fili? Is that you?"

"Belle? BELLE!" the hobbit woman screamed as she fought her way out of the bag keeping her hostage and ran towards her lost child.

"What in Arda is going on?!"

Belle cringed as her mother slammed into her and Aragorn and Legolas jumped into the clearing.

She and Fili were screwed.

~.~.~.

A ball of fire lit the twenty-eight year old's hand up as he took in the situation, and behind him Legolas pulled his bow and arrow of his back. The dwarves had begun to climb out of their sacks with help from the others and redressed themselves. He groaned, why did Belle and Fili always have to find trouble? Sensing no danger from the group in front of him he let the fire die out and nodded to Legolas who then put his weapons away.

"My baby! I've missed you so much!" he turned to the woman who he assumed was Mad Belladonna, and saw that she was hugging Belle to her chest.

The leader of the Company had raven hair that was tinged with silver strands pushed Belladonna away from the small tween and the Company took up arms around the woman. He sighed, this was gonna be a pain in the ass.

"Dammit, I knew we should never had left the Cape," behind him Legolas nodded in agreement.

"Who are you?" the dwarf growled at Aragorn as he stood in front of Fili who looked straight ahead.

"I am the Master of Fire. You are?"

"Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror; now tell me why my sister-son is with you."

Fili snapped his head to Thorin and stared with his milk white eyes, "Uncle Thorin?"

The dwarf grabbed Fili by the arm and dragged him to the Company where he was received with arms wide open at the mention of the Lost Prince. "Fili!" Belle wailed as she used her water to form a whip and grabbed his other arm. Aragorn burned an arrow that came their way and glared at the small dwarf who shot it, and was surprised to see a dwarfling hold his own against him.

"Don't touch him!" he cried out as a... female? dwarf smacked him in the head.

"Kili!" she yelled as she pulled the young dwarf back into the protection of the Company.

Belle's water whip pulled both Fili and Thorin towards her and the two, her desperation to keep the blonde dwarf near her was noticeable. In order to get the dwarves to let go of their weapons Aragorn shook his head at Belle and extinguished his flames. "We mean you all no harm, all we want is our companion back," he said with his hands pointed skyward. "Please release him and we'll be on our way," but as he said this he knew the chances of that happening were slim as the dwarrowdam also started to pull on Fili's arm.

"Fili, listen to your Amad and come with us," she whispered with tears streaming down her face as she tried to hug the dwarf to her body.

The little tween was not about to let the blonde dwarf go that easily and used her water to drag all three of them to ear before separating them with a water wall. She latched onto his arm and refused to let him go, and all the while Legolas just sat down and watched with mirth on his face. He was taking great enjoyment in this but was ready for the moment he would intervene.

" _ **What is going on here?!**_ " a deep gravely voice thundered and everyone except for Belle turned to the newcomer.

He was a tall man who were nothing but grey and held a staff that shined light into the shady clearing, when Belle turned to look at the man her jaw dropped. A smile broke out on her face before she ran to hug the Tall Man, "Gandalf! You're here!" As she clung to his robes the other dwarves had calmed considerably but they had not yet released their weapons.

"Let's calm down and shine some light on these happenings," he advised before gently pushing Belle away. "It has been a long time since I last seen you Little One," he said, "But where in all of Middle Earth did you go?"

"I can't tell you Gandy," she said brightly before racing off to be near Fili and Aragorn.

One of the dwarves who crept away from the Company after being released yelled to gather everyone's attention, "Oi! I found the Troll's Horde!"

Fili stared in the direction of his mother and uncle before using the earth to propel himself atop the boulder he used to kill the trolls, and Belle could only laugh in delight as she went along for the ride. The dwarves dispersed into groups and while many went into the Horde, like Gandalf, many also stayed. Belladonna was being held back by the dwarrowdam and the youngest dwarf while the little family looked in longing at Fili's direction.

The elf played with the direction of the wind as he waited for the inevitable to begin, and frowned at the dead wind that blew East and caused his long blonde hair to flutter in the wind. Aragorn sighed as he watched the family of dwarrows hold back the crying hobbit and deep in his heart he felt sorrow.

It was in this moment that he wished he didn't get his emotions back, for he longed for a family again.

He didn't want the shame that he felt when he remembered the elves of Rivendell that he burned.

He didn't want the envy that he knew when Belle had gravitated to Fili.

He didn't want the hatred that he aimed towards the dwarves that dare try to hurt Belle.

Aragorn didn't want it.

~.~.~.

"So where to start?" Fili asked as the convoy of dwarves, hobbits, humans, and the sole elf continued East. All using different methods of transportation, some of which made even the most stubborn dwarf awestruck.

Fili used his bare feet to surge a small wave of Earth to keep him at a pace that the other elements benders were happy with. Belle gracefully swung her arms to slide down ice she formed and melted to ice to reuse the Water to make more slides that she used to zigzag through the Company. Next to her was Legolas who silently used his Air to make a ball of wind and controlled it to move in whatever direction with the tilt in his body and a foot to stabilize the Air. Flying in the air was Aragorn who was positioned between Belle and Fili and used his Fires in every extremity he had to keep his body in the air.

All the while the dwarves rode ponies, and looked at the group in envy.

"The beginning would be nice son," Dis had said.

To Belle, Legolas, and Aragorn all the names of the Company of Thorin Oakenshield had confused them greatly; especially Belle whom had a hard time reading their lips. Though Fili had no problem since he had grew up near many of these people in his childhood.

"Well," he started, licking his suddenly dry lips, "I can't tell you everything for the sake of my fellow people, but I'll tell you the basics. After I started moving the Earth to my beck and call with Kee watching, I got sick. It was my punishment and soon I lost my sight. The Masters said that if you Master and Mentor then your punishment may be lifted.

"So I became the best of the best, and though I never got my sight back I am content. I wasn't the only to be punished for ignoring the Call; Legolas, Belle, and Aragorn were also punished. Legolas lost his voice after centuries of ignoring, and for Belle it was her hearing. Though Aragorn had the worst of all of us for he lost his emotions but was one of the few to have the Punishment rescinded.

"While I feel bad for leaving you all behind I am confident to say that I would have gotten worse if I stayed," he let the information sink in as he rode the Earth next to the convoy of ponies.

Belladonna Baggins looked at the young dwarf and asked, "So those who followed the Call as you say, they didn't get punished?"

"Exactly," he grinned as he jumped off the wave and ran next to Kili's pony. "Come on Kee!" he said as he reached for his brother's hands and smiled brightly when Kili jumped into his arms. He lagged behind the Company as he settled Kili on his back before surging back onto another wave, Dis and Thorin grateful for the happy screams of the fifty-five year old brunette. Their family had been too quiet for too long; the first time being after Vili's death and Fili's disappearance.

"I'm just happy my little Belle is alive," she said and Aragorn agreed.

"So am I!"

This caused many to frown.

Just what had gone on during the nine, almost ten years, they had been gone?


	2. At the Starting Point

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As more time in the Company of Thorin Oakenshield flies by, the more they start to learn. They begin to unravel the mystery that was Belle Baggins and the companions she had wrapped around her fingers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope that this is coming along just like I hoped it would, and I hope that you all like it as well.
> 
> Pairing: Belle Baggins/Aragorn, son of Arathorn
> 
> Belle Baggins/Legolas Greenleaf
> 
> Belle Baggins/Fili
> 
> Rating: T
> 
> The Hobbit belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien.

"Get up," a harsh voice called out to the little girl who lay bleeding on the ground. Her blondish-brown hair was spread into the mud as she stared into the unforgiving face of her tormenter.

"I can't Master," she wheezed out as she clutched her chest. A harsh whip struck down on her clothes that tore and her skin that couldn't take anymore bruises; all the while she refused to get up or scream or do anything. "Please," the water that was once a weapon to hurt her had turned to a cool refreshing sensation on her skin and the pain that ensnared her was slowly fading.

"I can't teach you, if you refuse to learn Belle. There is so much I can do and baby you is not one of them," the hobbit watched with tears in her eyes as her Master Hildigard turned her back on the tiny child. The other benders sneered at her before turning away from Belle and as the last elf left the lake she cried. A harsh sounding sob that broke the night's air but it wasn't like she could hear it.

Never had she heard the whispers going on behind her back, nor could she hear the snickers that her fellow benders made when they watched her fall against people twice her age and experience. Those horrible rumors that echoed about her through Eryn Vorn, and despite the others protecting her from most of it Belle faced humiliation everyday.

She was tired of seeing Legolas' angered face when he heard those horrible barely disguised jokes.

She could hardly stand seeing Aragorn's emotionless body as he threateningly held his Fire to her tormenters.

Nor could she take Fili treating her as if she was a piece of fragile glass after she was bullied by the Water Benders.

No more would she take this, and even though she was the youngest bender she would become the best. Plus, it was hardly her fault that she couldn't stand her ground against Master Hildigard; whereas the woman had been training for years Belle had just started three weeks ago. The full moon above her calmed her trembling body as she gazed up into the light. A light breeze blew through the trees surrounding the lake that supplied Eryn Vorn's Water Benders with their needed element.

Oh, how she wished she could hear the rustling of the leaves, her mother's voice, or maybe what the others sounded like.

The ripples in the water's once sleek surface had Belle get to her feet and in the shallow end on the water was a dripping wet Legolas. His face was filled with impatience and annoyance as he looked over to the two Air Masters hovering in the Air. "Leegolaas?" her voice stumbling over his name since she had only known it after she lost her hearing.

His body twisted elegantly to face her and his face lit up in a smile and he waved her over. Trying to remember her earlier lessons on water waves that afternoon Belle did her best to mimic the moves of her Master and was happy to see the little wave shake underneath her as she surfed to the other side. He squatted on the balls of his feet and opened his arms for her to jump in. Before she could even make it near him her wave faltered and she sunk underneath the water's surface.

Her frail arms and legs kicked desperately and she took a huge breath as her head broke into open air. Looking to the elf who now had the two Masters placing their hands on his shoulders. Her mind couldn't take in the blur that was their lips and further more it wasn't anything said in Westron; his face was completely emotionless as the elven Masters made him turn away from her.

A small wave was seen from Legolas as he turned back to her and gave her his best smile, one that was only meant for her.

Belle paddled to the edge of the lake once more and drew her knees up to her chest. How was she going to be the youngest Master when she could hardly comprehend the basics? She wanted her father to be there so he could comfort her while he sang her favorite lullabies, or for her grandfather Old Took to tell her the story of her great Uncle Bullroarer Took.

There would never be hear for her, not now and not in the future.

One of the things she was sworn to when she had been taken in with the Water Benders was not to divulge any sensitive information about the specifics of the Call. The second was that she was not to seek help from any other bender besides her Master. The third and final rule was to never, under any circumstances, let the secrets of Eryn Vorn out under threats of death and torture.

The Masters had made her and the new batch of those who followed the Call to Water swear to those three things and if they didn't they would be set back into the Wild. Left to die and never to come back unless they sought death.

Night had faded into day and when she awoke it was Aragorn who stood above her, ready to pick her up when her eyes flew open. Her wrists flicked outward and water tendrils shot up at him, and when she realized who it was that woke her Belle let the water fall to her sides. "I'm sorry, didn't mean it," she mumbled as she grabbed his offered hand and he pulled her up.

"Breakfast," he guided her towards the giant trees that held Eryn Vorn up. Houses and entire halls were built up on the air with spiral stairways built going up the trees to hanging bridges that connected each building to the other. The steps were made in thought of the Little Folk who got the Call while keeping the Big People into consideration with the high ceilings and tall doorways. It scared Belle to first go up into the town but after the days of running up and down them with Fili she stopped caring.

Her eyes brightened up as she bent as much water off her as possible, but she was still quite damp as she and Aragorn entered the Mess Hall. The high tables and chairs loomed over Belle but as she split off from the Man to go to the Water Benders she had a hard time getting into the chair. She was glad for being deaf as she would have heard the snickers as a kindly human picked her up.

"Thank you-" her thanks were cut short when she saw Master Hildigard but she kept on so she wasn't rude. "Thank you Master," but the woman only placed the faunt into the chair before sitting in the one next to her. The mouths around her slowed to a respectful rate when the Master sat, as it always was when the Masters sat with their students and fellow Masters.

Belle grabbed enough food she needed even if she wanted more, but she didn't want to be seen as greedy by the others. She was ostracized enough and didn't need to add more reasons against her than you very much! Her meager meal made the only one watching her raise their eyebrows and after Belle finished her small glass of milk and polished off her plate more was starting to pile up.

Master Hilidigard was someone who grew up on the road, and she knew what it was like to watch children starve so it pained her to see the child try to eat the minimum. After placing more eggs and toast onto the hobbit's plate she refilled her glass with more milk. Forcing the girl to look at her mouth she blatantly demanded, "Don't ever let me see you do that again, got it? You eat what you would have eaten before the Call, like what any little girl your age would have. Understand?"

"What about second breakfast? Elevensies? Afternoon Tea? Dinner? Supper? Dessert? Do you know about those?" she asked and the other hobbits in the room held their breath. This was obviously something that they have been hoping for for ages, but none were young enough to require these luxuries that the fauntlings got.

"W-What?" the Water Master sputtered.

"Hobbits eat seven meals a day and it is required until we are thirty-three."

"Well how old are you?"

"I just turned twelve," she puffed her chest out proudly as she was proud of being this age.

She was ignorant to the elves' disbelief and the human's shock, who could blame them? Where did the hobbits put all that food!? The teen elf who was the ringleader of the group that was against her paled, he was bullying a babe. A little babe, just the age of a newborn! His face was nearly as red as his hair, and looking to Master Hildigard he knew she felt just as bad.

"Well eat then we spar, and I guess I'll let the class out for second breakfast. Though no elevensies, I'll talk with Master Willow about the other meals," she said before turning back to her own meal. Belle could only smile, maybe this was a sing from Yavanna. Maybe this was her start to being the best and that smiled stayed on her face even when she was face down in the mud and water.

Yes, this was the start to a better Belle.

~.~.~.

Maybe she was wrong about it being a sign from Yavanna; Master Willow, an elderly hobbit from Bree, was quite firm in his opinion that Belle and the other underage hobbits were to be treated like all others.

"She may be but a faunt but there was not a single hobbit that complained about the rations given. She and the others can learn to be more grateful about food this way."

"You- you have lived your life sheltered in a kind town of the West and as of consequence have not seen starvation. I grew up as a descendent of Dale and lived my entire life on the road before I got the Call at thirty-eight. Hear me out Willow," she pleaded to the hobbit, "I have watched children eat rations and die as of such. We have no need to ration. The Earth Benders care for farmland with the Hobbits and the Fire Benders raise and slaughter livestock. We have a winter storage big enough to feed Esgaroth-"

"What is that?"

"A town that has a greedy Master and famine that cripples the young and old. Can you not spare a few more meals to those who can eat it?"

"Hildigard, my answer remains the same and if young Belle has a problem she can come to me."

The human growled and kicked a table over in frustration, "Do you not see? She is too scared to ask for help, and as the youngest in Eryn Vorn, is constantly put down. Myself included." Despite her shame she continued on, "Just this one thing. You have fought me and the other Masters since you are the oldest here; you think yourself better. They are but children, let them eat."

"I HAVE SAID MY PIECE! The answer is no and will be until I die!"

"Bitter old hag."

"Stupid human! I will not give some Punished brat special treatment!"

The Water Master left the arrogant Fire Master and went forward without knowing just where she was going. Her feet walked for her and her mind drifted off into the memories of her childhood. She missed her lovely fathers, who took her in as a starving babe off the side of the road. She wished to see her children and husband once more, all she wanted was to do was hug her little Tilda and talk with Sigrid. Maybe teach Bain swordplay, but most of all she missed her Bard's love.

"I'm going to leave one of these days."

"Why don't you?" she stopped just in time to see Belle standing in the lake. Her arms flailing as she prevented a slip in the mud and with a small wave of the hand Hildigard helped her gain her balance. The Master nearly cried out at the bruises she saw on Belle, all of her doing no doubt. She hated how hard she was on the hobbit but the girl reminded her of Tilda, with those eyes and her long curly hair. To forget her pain she pushed the hobbit far past her limits, and she felt so ashamed.

"I have yet to loose the Call's needs, and I hope after this group it will fade."

Belle brought her arms in and up before pushing them out and down, repeating this until the motions made the water surge with her. When the top began to crest over her body the wave got shaky and collapsed all over her, drenching the hobbit in cold water. She sniffled slightly before starting to go through the motions again, and was quickly corrected into the right position.

Hildigard took both of Belle's hands in her own before going through the motions with her, the wave growing higher and higher until the Master showed her how to let it drop gently back into the lake. Belle's honey colored eyes sparkled as the water in the lake rippled slightly as the water was bent back into it; a happy grin on her face despite the tears that fell.

"Thank you Master," she sniffed as she wiped at the tears on her face.

Hildigard brushed the tears away with her rough thumbs before nudging her forehead onto Belle's, "I'm so sorry." The hobbit couldn't hear the apology but felt the trembling of the older woman as she cried into her hair. "I-I'm s-so sorry! P-please forgive me," not knowing what was happening Belle wrapped her arms as far as they would go around the Master.

"I'll make you the best there will ever be Belle, I promise."

Belle's eyes flickered from her mouth to her eyes and seeing the sincerity she held out her pinky, "Pinky promise?"

A laugh bubbled out of her before she could stop it and she hooked pinkies with the hobbit, "Pinky promise."

While she regretted that promise in the long run Belle was forever grateful for it, as the months progressed Hildigard taught her at night alone and with others in the day. The hobbit rose through the ranks and sooner than later she had beat the Master of Water and Ice at an official duel for Mastership, and right before celebrating her birthday the next week. She was now a tween and was proud of it.

When the last of her group became Masters, they and the rest of Eryn Vorn gathered at the edge of the forest to watch her leave. Belle wrestled her way through the crowd to see the Master rest a large gourd of water on her back. The woman had side pouches everywhere filled with lambas bread and dried meats and a water-skin of dwarven ale. The little tween slammed into her legs and cried out, "Do you have to go?"

Hildigard knelt down and picked up the girl; giving her a squeeze before nodding, "I've been gone from my family for three years, right after the birth of my youngest. I need to see them again, but do come and visit me in Esgaroth." After putting the hobbit down she melted the ice cork in the gourd and rode out on a wave of water.

All stood there to watch her leave and all bowed in respect, even Master Willow had bowed deep for his fellow Master. As soon as the human was out of sight the crowd began to dwindle down before it was just Belle, Legolas, Fili, and Aragorn.

Fili rested his hands on Belle's shoulders before pushing his forehead up to hers; pulling back he told her, "I'm proud of you... Master Belle." Aragorn congratulated her in his monotone voice briefly, but laying a hand on her hair. The elf was far more exuberant in his congrats, for he threw the hobbit into the air and spun her around once he caught her. The second her feet touched the ground he lay a hand over his heart and bowed his head; tears of happiness shone in his eyes.

"Lets go home," it was weird. Calling Eryn Vorn home, but at this point it had become more welcoming than the Shire. Yes, while she would visit her homeland Belle didn't think she could live there anymore. Fili agreed with her, being a Prince was grueling business and Legolas confirmed it.

"I could have been a Prince," Aragorn said.

"Why didn't you?" Fili asked.

"My ancestors failed to destroy a relic, and his downfall lead to the broken strength of men. My line of would-have-been-kings have been thought to contain this same weakness. And we do, my father displayed it when he died and I did as well. I still do, for I am weak," he explained with a straightforward disposition.

"You're not!" Belle cried out.

"But I am Master."

"You're strong if you can admit being weak!"

Fili looked thoughtful as he mulled the thought over, "An interesting way of seeing that Belle." The lithe blonde agreed with the dwarf as he led the little group back into the town. Legolas looked as if he desperately wanted to tell them something but couldn't so he settled for hand gestures. "I get ya loud and clear Legolas," Fili smiled, "He wants you to know Aragorn that you are stronger than a... a tree?"

The X's that the elf made with his arms made Fili back-step, "I mean than a... king? No! An elf!"

Poor Legolas jumped threw his hands into the air in exasperation.

"Well I'm sorry we don't have any paper for you to write on!"

Belle's laughter made them smile, well with the exception of Aragorn who never smiled, but he did feel a little twinge in his heart.

~.~.~.

"Then you gotta meet it head on and SMASH!" Fili roared as he showed his first group of students how to destroy a boulder with bare hands and their own head. "Everyone got it?" when no one dared to speak a word the blind dwarf then bent the rubble away and pointed to the next boulder. "Golin! You're up next," and a stout dwarf took the horse stance before charging the rock.

His head banged against it and the group groaned as they heard some snaps echo through the air.

"Someone go get Master Belle, tell her broken bones and a possible concussion."

The only elf quickly left to do the dwarf's bidding, she was not at all ashamed to say that the blind Master scared her. Even though he was one of the Punished she admired his strength and courage.

It was a sore subject she discovered, being one of the Punished, and she was one of the many who felt bad for those who were Punished. Master Willow and the Fire Masters being those who looked down on them, giving Fire a bad name. Well, Master Aragorn was a fine man who didn't judge anyone regardless of being Punished or not. He was collected and looked as if he was emotionless of all things, but he treated all with the same indifference. Master Belle was a kind child, healing the wounded and always giving them a sweet when she saw that none of her students were watching her.

Gwaelin decided it then and there, while Master Aragorn was striking everyone would much more prefer Master Belle when they learned to get over the fact that she was a Punished bender. She didn't even know how the tween punished, since she acted like everyone else albeit a little more observant.

"Master Belle! Master Belle, come quick," she called from the edge of the forest.

She frowned when the Master didn't respond, her lesson went on uninterrupted as if Gwaelin wasn't there at all! "Master Belle, Gwaelin in asking for you," a human man said as he followed the motions.

"Oh! Pardon me Miss Gwaelin! What is it you need?" she asked from the lake.

"Golin broke his hands again! This time he also got a concussion!" why couldn't Master Belle hear her earlier?

Belle sighed and bent a stream of water into a water-skin she kept on hand with her at all times, turning to her class she ordered them to get in partners and practice making waves. "Ready Miss Gwaelin," she smiled as she touched her side pouch with a smirk. The hobbit reached in and grabbed a small package wrapped in leaves, opening it there were little brown cubes in it. "Let this be our little secret, Master Willow will be quite cross if he finds out where the caramel has been going," she whispered before pressing a cube into Gwaelin's hand.

"Of course Master."

The caramel was truly a gift from the Valar, it was creamy yet sweet as it melted in her mouth. She looked over to see the tween had put one in her mouth before wrapping it back up and putting the leaves in her pouch. The dirt clearing that was obviously meant for the Earth Benders and in it were large stones lined up and rubble everywhere.

"Golin! Come here please," the brunette dwarf grumbled as he brought his swollen hands to Belle. "These breaks need to be set for I cannot mend them, they are too jagged to even attempt. I'm sorry," she said as she bent the cool water over his knuckles. The glowing water soothing his swollen flesh as Gwaelin watched in envy, she wished she was blessed with Water's Call.

"My thanks Master Belle," he hissed out as she set each finger with a stick and strong strips of leaves.

"No problem, ah yes. Here you are," she whispered as she passed the dwarf a piece of caramel, "I don't want you to participate in hands-on training but you can go through arm and leg motions only."

"Yes Master Belle."

"Go on now! Fili is most impatient!"

Gwaelin watched as the dwarf quickly heeded her advice and went to re-join the class, but she lingered. She needed to know.

"Master?" once again no response. Getting in front of Belle she fell to her knees and tried again, pushing her flowing black hair back behind her pointed ear. "Master if I may? How did you get Punished?" she asked as the tween looked to her large feet.

"Its quite a story, one that helped me mature more than others."

"I'm willing to hear it all the same."

Belle only shook her head and pointed to her ears, the pointed tips accentuated her face but that wasn't the point Gwaelin discovered.

"You can't hear me?"

"Afraid not?"

"Then ho-"

"Westron is very easy to read off one's lips, but my story will wait for another day yes?"

"Promise?" the elf asked.

Belle grinned, "Pinky."

"I look forward to your story Master."

"As does everyone else, now go before Fili gets angry! Trust me he's nicer when he's not angry."

Gwaelin merely threw her head back and laughed and in that moment Belle wanted to hear the no doubt beautiful laugh.

~.~.~.

_She was quite beautiful, Thorin thought, Despite the little scene she made upon meeting them, for the patchwork robe left much to be desired._

_When arriving in Bag End the Company knew something was wrong with the house, since it didn't feel at all inviting as the other hobbit holes. Being inside was definitely worse than standing at the ominous green door, and the inside was much better than the dead garden outside. A clean house was a happy house, as Dis said to him many times. Though this house may have been cleaned it was by no means happy._

_Portraits of a happy family were hanging on the wall and the matron of the house, Belladonna Baggins nee Took, was in everyone of them. A rotund, happy hobbit male stood neck to her while in her arms was a bouncing baby girl. There were no signs of the hobbits in the portraits and soon after he arrived everyone knew why._

_"HOW DARE YOU!? DON'T TELL ME WHAT THEY WOULD HAVE WANTED! DO NOT THINK FOR A SECOND THAT YOU KNEW WHAT BUNGO AND BELLE WOULD HAVE WANTED!" Belladonna thundered after Gandalf went to convince her to sign the contract she blatantly threw to the floor._

_"My dear, they wouldn't wan-"_

_"I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY WOULD WANT, NEITHER DO YOU! YOU NEVER DID AND NEVER WILL!"_

_"Bungo wou-"_

_"Bungo is long dead and Belle might be in the same boat as he! I swore to him that I would remain here in case Belle came back, but she never did. D-don't talk to me of what they want since I should have known it myself!" she cried out. By now the Company was quite shamefaced, for trying to make the poor lass their burglar._

_Bombur was close to tears; the portly dwarf felt horrible that she had lost her One and her child and Gloin feeling sympathetic towards the hobbit he once dismissed as weak. Dis held Kili in her arms as she knew the pain that Belladonna was feeling, and it truly was a horrible thing to experience._

_From then on the Company didn't judge people based on their looks._

The long-lost daughter of Belladonna Baggins was a mix of her mother and father, mannered but impulsive. Quiet though possessive.

She demonstrated these characteristics since she and her companions meet that first night, and it seemed that the Benders were all very fond of her. Especially Fili, who spent the time away from his family with the hobbit. He wasn't the only one, Belladonna had spent every single second with her possible communicating with the hobbit by writing in the dirt. Though young Belle was fine with reading lips, but the accented Khuzdul was grating on her nerves.

The mute elf was friendly with Fili, oddly enough, as was the human who controlled fire and all three of them protected Belle from most of everything. Except she was used to the small rations, unlike her mother.

"So how in the world did you get to go on an adventure nadad? Surely you would have stayed with Lady Nali and Gimli while Amad and Uncle were away?"

"He was, but days after leaving Ered Luin I found him trailing along with one of the ponies we left in Nali's care. Kili is still being punished," Dis told Fili as she leveled a stern look at Kili.

"Hey! I'm not the only underage dwarf here, right Ori? Fili?"

"Ori was allowed because of his apprenticeship to Balin, and if it was my way Fili would be with you in Nali's care. Though as Mahal would have it, it was not to be the way Amad would have liked."

Belle could hardly catch up with what was being said and Aragorn merely smirked at Fili, "Ah younger brothers, lovely aren't they?" His grey-blue eyes twinkling with mischief as he nudged Fili.

"Some things are lovely and brothers are one of them."

"I agree, my face being one of them!"

"I'm glad I'm blind so I don't have to see your ugly mug."

Legolas snickered silently as Belle roared with laughter at Aragorn's face.

"I am rather handsome if you ask me."

"That's the thing, you said 'If you ask _me_ " and you _think_ you look good."

"You can't deny it!"

Fili waved his hand in front of his eyes and snorted with laughter when he felt Aragorn's vibrations get a defeated feel about them.

"If it makes you feel any better Master Aragorn, you are in the hobbit's range of beauty," Belladonna told him. Fili didn't even need to see to know that Aragorn was smiling like he won a prize, with a quick jab with his foot to the earth the dwarves watched as a line trailed to where Aragorn sat. The line of what is now churned earth erupted in a large blunt rock that sent poor Aragorn flying forward.

"I'll get you for that!"

"See to it that you do."

Three days after this it had rained, to which Belle had kept the Company dry and happy until the rain stopped, and in the wee morning the day after it rained a howl was heard. The ponies had ran the minute it was heard leaving the Company stranded in the edge of the woods they were in, making the younger ones pale.

"Amad? Whats going to happen?"

"Nothing, we will be fine Kili."

"The ponies-"

"We will be okay. I promise."

The rustling of twigs and bushes caught Legolas' attention rather quickly and he notched an arrow and waited. Patience made perfect and soon a scouting orc atop his warg burst through the foliage. He let the arrow fly perfectly into the neck of the warg, making it throw its rider forward onto the ground. Thorin and Dwalin tried to dispatch it quickly and quietly but the orc was too loud.

"Amad!"

"I know."

The calls of the oncoming pack was ringing in their ears, and for Belle she became alert when Legolas had. A brown man came out of the woods behind her making Legolas through his palm forward and a burst of air made the man fall onto his back.

"Radagast! Do not worry it is Radagast the Brown!"

When the wizard got to his feet, he heaved for his breath and held up one finger. "W-well. Nice to you as well Estelcyll," he greeted Legolas and was quite happy to get a nod in return.

"Oh yes, I need to tell you something Gandalf..." the rest of the Company stopped listening to them as the sounds of the pack got closer. Kili, who was barely Balin's height, clutched Dis' traveling cloak as the others got ready to fight.

"Those are Gundabad Wargs! They will catch you!"

"And these are Rhosgobel Rabbits! I'd like to see them try."

Legolas looked in disbelief as Radagast jumped on his sled on took off, giving them a somewhat safe passage for what he believed was Imladris.

Aragorn frowned as he knew exactly what Gandalf was planning, not looking forward to seeing the twin's again.

Fili kept near Dis and Kili, ready to defend them if need be.

Belle had her mother stay by her as the Brown Wizard took off, not wanting to be separated from her again.

It might kill her if they were.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back-story time! The next three chapters will look a lot like this one, just a heads up.
> 
> Ragehappy Mavin Fan  
> (A.K.A Rhohel_of_the_Shire)


	3. Sparks That Ignited the Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aragorn's past is known as the Company get to the Last Homely Home of the West, Rivendell. There is more under the surface than the Company knows, and it seems that there is more than Fili and Legolas know as well. Well, its like they say.
> 
> Home is where the heart is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope that you guys are on board with the entire disabled characters, because it gives this story something that I really haven't seen in FF or AO3.
> 
> Parings: Belle Baggins/Aragorn, son of Arathorn
> 
> Belle Baggins/Legolas Greenleaf
> 
> Belle Baggins/Fili
> 
> Rating: T
> 
> The Hobbit belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien.

Dawn had just broke over the woods of Eryn Vorn and in the Fire Benders' clearing two people were hard at work as a crowd of students watched. Aragorn, son of Arathorn was up against the diminutive Master Willow in the day's lessons. The new student was losing horribly to the seasoned Master, but it didn't bother him.

There was a sharp feeling of pain in his body as Aragorn tried and failed to dodge a blast of fire that came his way. The scent of burnt flesh and scorched hair didn't faze him at all as he stood against the fires that were bombarding him.

"Boy, you'll need to do better if you want to be a Master!" the hobbit, whose name he really didn't care about, roared at him.

"Of course, Master Willow," Aragorn said as he began to double his efforts. Fire scorched the ground black as he did all he could to twist his way out of the hobbit's path, and the other students looked at him with sympathy. It was something he could hardly comprehend anymore, and could care less about if he was being honest. He wasn't afflicted by pain-crippling emotions and would be glad about it if only he could.

It was a weakness that he couldn't afford to have as Heir of Gondor, but the actual chances of him ever ruling were slim. Aragorn was completely fine with that seeing as it was another weight that was lifted off his back.

Though he did resent his ability to be blunt to a fault, and he never showed it to the others; his Wandering companions were the proof of his harsh words and scathing comments. Though he knew they didn't take any of what he said to heart, and the burden on his shoulders lessened whenever he saw understanding in their eyes. Well, most of their eyes, since Fili couldn't really show his understanding in his eyes and had to express it in other ways.

From the little hobbit lass that made his life much more bearable to the silent elf that kept him from complete isolation, hell even the headstrong dwarf had accepted him and his Punishment. In return he showed preference to the three companions he had during their Wandering, and it made each of them much happier.

"Disgrace to Fire itself! I'm done with you for today you Punished whelp!"

Once that would have made him feel something akin to what he knew was rage or self-loathing, but he didn't care.

"Yes, Master Willow," it really didn't matter if the Master didn't like him. It honestly didn't matter since all he had to do beat the Master in a formal spar in front of the other Masters of the other Elements, then no more Master Willow. Simple as that.

The Master's words hurt others and his arrogance was felt by many in Eryn Vorn, because he was one of the eldest Masters in their sanctuary he felt a certain power that he shouldn't have. His students were very wary of the Master and didn't spend anymore necessary time than needed with the bitter hobbit. Aragorn knew of a better hobbit that was worth a thousand of him, and he knew just where to find her.

His face was emotionless as he walked over tree roots with his bare feet as he walked to the lake that the Water Benders called their own, and judging by the Sun's position in the sky it was nearing breakfast. The little hobbit was surely in the Mess Hall but knowing her, she was most likely passed out at the water's edge after a long night of practicing. As he broke through the treeline that was near the lake he cocked his head at the sight of the half-drowned hobbit.

Her body was half in the water as it lapped around her sleeping form, the water flowing beautifully through her tattered Shire dress. One of the few things she managed to keep from being irreparable during their Wandering. He thought it made her look, well, it made her look like Belle; the little hobbit faunt that he protected from the scathing words of others.

She was much more tolerable if she wasn't sad, yes that was it.

Bending down to pick her up seemed easy enough, and he was caught off guard to see her eyes snap open and the water around them surged at her command. The little water tendrils that began their way towards him had halted and fell back to the lake when she realized who was in front of her. "I'm sorry, didn't mean it," he heard her mutter under her breath and he only nodded.

After helping her to her feet Aragorn knew exactly how to get her moods up again, "Breakfast." She grinned and he lead her back to Eryn Vorn and up the large trees that kept the little town up from the forest floor. He gave her a small pat on the top of her head before going to sit with the Fire Benders that trickled into the Mess Hall, and sat next to a dwarf and another human. They were unremarkable in the eyes of the Master and so he gravitated towards them whenever he was separated from Legolas, Fili, or Belle.

"I don't like how the Master gives you a hard time for being Punished," the dwarrowdam he sat next to said. It still threw him off his game whenever he saw her beard and Aragorn always mistook her for a male.

"It doesn't bother me, Ásdís . You are aware of this," he said as he munched on a piece of bacon that was set in front of his by the Water Benders that took care in cooking their meals.

"It should Aragorn, no one should be treated harshly because of that. I mean you had a good reason right?" the man next to him asked.

"I was taken in by the Elves of Rivendell, and I was forced to stay there in the days following my parents' demise. I actually had to burn my guards to be able to leave and meet with Belle and the others. I was forced to fight against my Call, but I view my Punishment as an advantage."

Ásdís gawked at him before exclaiming, "You have no emotions! How in the name of Mahal's Forges is that good?" The human next to Aragorn nodded in agreement, wanting to know how he could think this a good thing.

"What if someone to whom I was close to died? It wouldn't hurt."

"Is that the life you want? To never love another and to never feel anything?" Percival asked Aragorn.

"I will if I must, tis my Punishment to live with not yours."

The dwarrowdam only punched Aragorn in the arm and turned back to her breakfast, "I hope your Punishment will be rescinded."

"May your words be heard by the Valar," Percival automatically said.

Many felt bad for Aragorn, whom they had known for a little over three weeks at the most, and it was he never noticed the pitying looks sent his way or he didn't care. It wasn't like he needed their pity to get on with his life and he had told them many times, but if anything he only managed to gain more sympathy from others.

After breakfast the Fire Benders were given free range to practice their lessons from sunrise that day, and Ásdís was much more than she let on. Percival was too, but their only explanation for that was that 'Everyone needs to learn not to underestimate or overestimate anyone.' They were Apprenticing under Master Willow for a little over two years and were no closer to beating the Master in a formal spar but Percival did come close. Ásdís was slowly improving with her control over the Fire that threatened to dominate her soul.

He had arrived just as Master Willow had acquiesced to pass some Punished students after they had won fairly in their formal spars and he guessed it made the hobbit mad that he had to Mentor another Punished bender. After he was taken into Willow's class the Hobbit refused to take on anymore, and would live out the rest of his life in Eryn Vorn; much to the other Masters' consternation.

"Useless boy! Just like that deaf whelp Hildigard has," and something inside Aragorn snapped. Later he would recognize this as rage but as for as he thought it was that his patience with the hobbit had snapped. Fire bursts from his clenched hands and he quickly aimed it at the Master who could only gawk at Aragorn's intensity. In hindsight it wasn't a good idea to burn the hobbit but he was so... how could he put it?

But damn, it was his own fault not Aragorn's.

The practicing he did on his own was well worth the surprise on the others' faces and he literally cartwheeled over to Master Willow; all while Fire burst from his body. It couldn't be contained by his will power anymore, and he let out all the Fire he had pent up in him. Grabbing the hobbit by his collar he stared into the elderly man's brown eyes with his lifeless ones. "You are an arrogant man, and while it doesn't matter what you say about me just remember this. None of my Wandering companions chose this life and they had their reasons for ignoring their Call. Don't judge them on what they did, but judge them on who they are. Understand?" he asked.

"Who do you think-" he was cut off by Aragorn slamming him into the ground underneath him.

"I think I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn. Do not test my patience again."

Ásdís and Percival gaped at Aragorn as he returned to their side and began practicing his katas again, "What?" The dwarrowdam only rubbed her short beard as Percival whistled nervously at the way he was looking at them. "Spit it out, my patience is thin as it is," he said monotonously. His voice was flat and deprived of any anger they expected to hear.

"It's just that, you got angry... and you can't _do it._ Since you _don't have_ emotions," Ásdís pointed out and Percival nodded behind her.

"He had pushed me until I was forced to push back," he answered.

"So no anger?"

"None that I can feel."

The Water Benders had come to heal the burns Aragorn had left on Master Willow and helped the hobbit back to the town; and he swore he saw Master Hildigard smile at him. She had bent the water away from the burns on Willow's arms and left him to some of her elven students to carry him back. That smirk made him feel pride, a fleeting thing that crossed the back of his mind. He could only wonder what his companions' reactions will be when he informs them.

Legolas' smirk.

Fili's laugh.

Belle's smile.

Those were the things that kept his patience from snapping.

~.~.~.

"Winner Aragorn!"

His shoulder length hair flowed around his head that was covered in bruises and his bare torso was littered in burns and wounds. A band of metal surrounded his biceps and his face betrayed no emotions as the other Masters clapped. On the ground in front of him lay Master Willow, incapacitated as the Rules of the Arena stated very specifically. Beaten with his own Element and a countdown from three was initiated, and there he stood. A Master of Fire, someone who could now finish the Call after his Mentoring.

Be it one class or ten he would eventually lose the Call's merciless grip on his soul.

Then he would see if his Punishment could be rescinded and seek out his Wandering companions so he might be able to apologize.

He was only twenty-one and was advancing further along with his Mastery than the others in his class had, specifically Ásdís and Percival. The two were happy for him instead of the jealousy that he received from others. His Wandering companions were overjoyed at the fact he had been the second of them being a Master and have had yet to leave his side in the Mess Hall.

"Was it hard?" Fili asked as he reached over to grab a glass and drink what he thought was milk but was actually ale. He spat out the drink and coughed as Belle pounded on his back, Legolas sighed as switched the glasses that Fili mixed up. Pressing the milk into his hand and rubbing his back at the same to to help alleviate his coughs.

"No, Master Willow is arrogant and too confident in his lacking abilities to actually fight. I let him get a couple good hits in before finishing him off, it will be different with your Master," Aragorn said as Fili got over his coughs. The blind dwarf only gave a thumbs up as he drank the correct liquid, the milk dirtying his braided mustache which Belle thought was cute.

No matter what Fili said about it, 'Its a dwarven tradition to have braided facial hair!' and was always responded with an 'I think its cute.' Aragorn himself had some facial hair, just a bit of hair dusting his chin, upper lip, and a tad of his neck; Legolas had no facial hair as was content to keep it that way. The only hair that Belle had that wasn't attached to her head was the hair on her feet, and by the looks of it the little hobbit was proud to have such curls adorn her feet.

"I can't wait to be a Master like you and Belle! To be able to finally teach a class of my own," he said as he put the cup back on the table. The high chair that he sat in limited his range of feel, so in actuality he was _blind_ at the moment. In that moment the teen dwarf was unable to see anything and it was just _nothing_. Though he was used to this while sitting in the Man sized chairs in the Mess Hall, and having to accept help from others. Even if it meant letting them refill his glass or having them get his food for him, you know. Normal things like that.

"I have yet to teach a class, I just got my Mastery an hour ago," he stated as he drank his water.

Legolas smiled out the corner of his eye and playfully hit the Man on the shoulder, grinning like a mad man when he received the expected punch off his chair. From his position on the ground he could do nothing but smile and get his journal ready to write some shit back to Aragorn. A charcoal pencil at the ready to fight with words, and the elf wanted to laugh in these moments. He truly did, but he accepted his disability and used it to better himself as a person. Just like Belle and Fili did, and while Aragorn couldn't really better himself as a person with his Punishment he accepted it nonetheless.

"Legolas, at this point you should know better," he said as he extended a hand to the elf, who took it gratefully. They all knew that this was Aragorn's natural defense to attack, but Legolas still tried to goad the human. The elf quickly wrote on the journal in front of him and passed it to the human, **_I know at this point, its just fun to piss you off._**

"I can't be pissed off, I don't feel anger or annoyance."

_**Yet you punch back, what can you say about this mellon?** _

"It is my natural defense to react when threatened."

**_Keep saying a lie and people will accept it as the truth Aragorn._ **

"Truth is perceived differently and will be thought of as a lie to those who perceive it so."

Belle tugged on Fili's sleeve as the hobbit tween read the conversation from Aragorn's lips and Legolas' journal, "Do you know what they mean?"

"No, no I can't."

The tween just smiled as she put a nice sandwich together for the four of them, her little hands grabbing lettuce and tomato and piling it on toasted bread slices. Sliced ham and turkey following some yellow tangy sauce she found on the table, after slamming the top piece of bread on the sandwiches she slid off her chair to pass them around to her companions. Aragorn took his impassively while Legolas smiled brightly at the hobbit as she handed him his sandwich, Fili muttered his thanks as he coughed after drinking from Aragorn's mug again.

Her chair was taller than her and she jumped in order to grab onto the seat and she swung her leg up into the seat to boost the rest of her body up. "One of these days I'll be tall enough not to jump," she mumbled.

_**Don't worry periannath, you can always ask Aragorn or I to help you.** _

"I can't always ask you guys for help."

"Just because you won't ask doesn't mean you should not expect it," Fili said wisely as he bit into his sandwich. His face puckering slightly at the taste of the tangy sauce but he liked it; despite the tang he tasted he smiled and ate happily. His companions having different reactions to their food, Aragorn merely ate it without any facial expressions and Legolas held the sandwich in one hand while gulping water with the other.

"Stop being a baby," Aragorn said as he kicked Legolas' chair, causing water to splash on his face. The elf glared at him but the human only ate and he just settled for glaring at Aragorn over the rim of his mug. The Fire Master ate the last bit of crust and drank the rest of his ale, well what was left after Fili was done anyway, and left the table. He gave them a slight wave as he left, ignoring the jealous looks from the others in the room.

The three at the table only smiled at his retreating form, and ate the rest of their meal at the Fire Benders' table with Ásdís and Percival. They talked to the two Apprentices as Aragorn left, and when he got out of the Mess Hall he exhaled through his nose. His body losing its tension as he took a stroll through the hanging town, the setting sun cast a red glow in the trees and air as he walked over hanging bridges with ease.

He was headed for the Fire House so he could move his objects and clothing from the Apprentices' Dorms to the individual houses that each Master had. Granted it was a small house with only a living area, bedroom, and bathroom complete with irrigation to move water to his room; it was all he needed. If he wants to move into the actual residential area of Eryn Vorn in the future he could but there would be no point of it.

The residential area was a place where Benders could move into houses with different people and if they wished, they could start a family. There were families that lived in Eryn Vorn, and they have for hundreds of years. Races of all kinds lived happily; elves, men, dwarves, and hobbits. Some races intermingling together and most staying in their own race; children of those who Mastered their elements inherited one from type of control from a parent.

A Water and Fire pair with three sons who, either had Fire or Water never both.

The Elements have never mixed and they never will, according to the books that scribes had wrote over the years about the Elements and its properties.

Walking into his dorm that he shared with Percival and three other male Fire Benders, Aragorn nodded impassively to them before gathering his stuff together. "I think he's a cheat, don't you Fainor?" one elf asked to another.

"Yeah, we've worked our asses off and we have yet to beat Willow. He probably let you win so he didn't have to teach a Punished," Fainor said as he glared at Aragorn.

"You think you can fool everyone, saying that your emotions are gone. Trying to get some kind of sympathy from the others," the first elf sneered.

"Just disgusting right Hadron?"

"Absolutely."

The entire time Aragorn just ignored them and packed his things into a burlap bag, as the other Bender in the room sat up in his bed next to Aragorn's. The dwarf looking at the two elves with thinly veiled disgust in his eyes as they continued to demean the Master. "Oi lads, I wouldnae go castin stones at others jus yet!" his stock body jumping to the floor as he put himself into a stance.

"Why are you defending him Gunnar? He just took the position that you have been practicing for years for!" Fainor exclaimed to the dwarf who only grunted.

"I may 'ave worked ma ass off fer a Mastery, but I am 'appy jus tha same fer those tha' do get a Mastery."

Hadron shook his head in disbelief at Gunnar and as the tension rose Aragorn stood up, a pack thrown over his shoulder as he walked over to Gunnar. He gave the dwarf a slap on the back in thanks, and just as he was about to leave the room the familiar heat of Fire came at him. Allowing himself to fall forward he caught himself on with his hands and kicked his foot out. Bright red flames scorched the floor and hit its mark; behind him Fainor screamed as he hit the ground.

The Fire only singed his long hair to his shoulders and the pounding of footsteps had engulfed all their ears as another Fire Master entered the room. Master Norin entered the room with her hands at the ready for any signs of fighting, the sight that greeted her made her bristle with anger. "What is going on here?" she roared as the Apprentices looked at her with their heads bowed.

"Master! Aragorn tried to kill me!"

"Wha' a load o' shit! This lil whelp provoked 'im to defend 'imself!" Gunnar informed the fiery red head quickly as she looked over to Fainor and Hadron. Her brown eyes then shot to Aragorn whose burlap bag was at the ready for him to leave.

"Is this true Master Aragorn?" she asked as she forced Fainor up onto his feet. She motioned for Hadron and Gunnar to follow her along with Aragorn and she lead them out of the dorms. "Well?" she prompted as the young Man fell into step with her.

"Yes Master Norin," he replied as she turned onto a bridge that lead to the Fire Master's houses. All of them the same size and painted red and yellow, she stopped at a vacant one and nudged Aragorn forward to it.

"Your new lodgings, come on you three. Master Willow will know what to do with you," she said as she pushed Hadron in the direction of Master Willow's house. "Congrats, by the way," she told Aragorn, who only nodded as he opened his door, "Expect a student or two tomorrow!"

"Yes Master Norin."

Fire had played a major part of his life and the decorations the house came with reflected that, it was as if all Masters had been through what he had. A new dawn would be here after the setting sun gave way to night, and he couldn't help but to ponder what was in his future.

~.~.~.

"KILI!" he felt himself get pulled out of his memories to see the sight of the underage dwarf back away from a snarling warg and its rider. Fili panicked and shifted the rocks underneath the boy, causing a small pit to engulf Kili safely. Dis had lifted her war hammer over her head and smashed the head of the orc that inched closer to her youngest son while Dwalin used Grasper and Keeper to finish off the warg. Once the danger had passed Fili bent the Earth to spit out Kili, who clutched his mother's traveling coat with all he had.

The howls of the approaching orc pack had the entire Company jump into action; Legolas grabbed both Belladonna and Belle and formed a ball of air beneath him. Using one foot to steady his center of balance he made sure the two hobbits were holding onto his arms before he took off, the air gliding harmlessly on the plains beneath him.

Rivendell, Aragorn lamented at the realization of being so close to the Last Homely Home of the West but the Company needed him more. He quickly followed Legolas and the sounds of stomping behind him alerted his mind to the fact that the Company was following him. The blonde companion of his was too panicked to do any help so he kept near the dwarf, offering his silent support.

"Follow Legolas! Quickly!" Gandalf cried out as he followed the elf who rode past orc after orc, dodging the swipes they made at him with their weapons. The elf had let control of the air near a large outcropping of rocks in a large clearing and readied his bow and arrow. Gandalf knew what the elf was doing and was glad that someone had caught onto his subtle hints.

Kili made his way to Legolas and notched his own arrow and began to shoot down the riders while the silent elf took down the wargs. The number of the pack, however, didn't help the archers and Aragorn could only scorch those who came near the hidden entrance. He knew, he _knew_ what would be waiting for him in the peaceful valley he really didn't want to think about it.

"This way! Quickly!" Gandalf yelled as Belle turned her water into ice so she could stop the arrow that was coming her mother's way. The second one shot hit the poor tween in the shoulder, and Fili's eyes widened as he felt the vibrations of his companion hit the ground. His Earth walls separated them from orcs giving each of the Company time to jump into the hidden passage.

Aragorn took his chance and made a grab at Belle while he ran to the small cave; his face filled with horror as he felt her blood heat his cold body. His horror shut down his nerves and cut him off from the world as he threw himself into down the hole. Legolas and Kili following him as Fili lowered the wall and burrowed his way down into the Earth. The vibrations in the ground had given him a direction to the others as he close his little entrance above him, his hands bending with his arms and knees as he made his own path to the others.

"Gloin, Oin. Bifur, Bofur, Bombur. Dwalin, Balin. That's seven; Thorin, Dis, Kili. Ten, oh! Nori, Ori, Dori and Bella. There's fourteen, Aragorn and Legolas and Belle. Seventeen... where's Fili?" Gandalf counted the number of people on his fingers and paused at the missing dwarf.

"Right here!" he said as his head popped through a _stone wall_ on Balin's left, causing the elderly dwarf to jump in surprise. The sounds of elvish hunting horns filled the air and an orc fell down the rough slope that lead into the cave. "I can sense a long winding path to the left, follow it?" he told Aragorn who nodded. The tiny hobbit in his arms as he made his way into the tight path first, ignoring the protests that the dwarves made.

He had to hurry, he couldn't loose her too; he refused to let another person he cared about to die in his arms. Aragorn would suck up his pride and face the elves once more, if only to get her some help. She was the healer in their group, and if she was down then they would soon follow her. The water that he stepped in as he ventured down the path meant that he was close to the opening.

Fili and Legolas were like ghosts following him, both passing effortlessly through the path and silently as well. Though both Fili and him knew that if he could Legolas would be screaming in frustration at this point.

Light poured into the Hidden Valley of Imladris as he ran down the natural steps the rocks made, desperate to get to the courtyards of Elrond as quick as he could. "Beautiful," he heard Belle mutter as she opened her eyes to see the light filter through the trees. The bright blue sky smiled happily at her as the tween grasped at the arrow in her chest.

"Don't do that Belle, please. I'm going to get you help, just hold on," he begged her as he turned down winding paths and over a bridge next to his favorite waterfall. The Company on his heels as he burst into the courtyard, a small squadron of elves at the ready. They looked to be a receiving line for someone else but they jumped into action when they saw the bleeding girl.

Aragorn's face crumpled as the hobbit was plucked from his arms and swiftly taken away by an elf maiden he knew very well. "Estel? Is that you?" a familiar voice asked him and he looked up to see either Elladan or Elrohir standing before him. Their faces were flawless but their hair wasn't as long as it used to be but their hands, the hands that poked out from under their sleeves were covered in scars. The puckered skin on their hands haunted him and he turned away from them in shame. He didn't dare look at the pale tips of their ears that contrasted vastly to their tanned skin, he wouldn't. He _couldn't_.

The same hunting horn from earlier rang out once more as the party that they heard earlier pranced into the courtyard; before he knew it he was yanked into the middle of a dwarven circle with Fili, Kili, and Legolas. It was awkward for the two Tall Folk get herded into a tight ring of protection while they rose above the Little Folk. Throughout this his slate blue-grey eyes never left the twins, his face frozen in humiliation and fear as he got lost in his memories once more.

Those horrible memories that plagued him after he had gotten his emotions back.

_"Come one Estel! We're gonna teach you how to shoot a bow and arrow!" One of the twins called out as the two dragged him down to the training yard. The teen of eighteen years allowed himself to be dragged by the Lord's sons, his face impassive as he allowed it so. Over the years his feelings have grown less and less, to the point where he stopped feeling all together and it became too much of a hassle to pretend any longer._

_"I don't want to be an archer," he said._

_"You won't know until you try!" the other twin whined as they came to a halt in the training yard. A bow rested on a table set out in advance with a quiver of arrows next to it, and three different targets were set out for him. "It'll be fun!" he said as he took the bow off the table and gave the string a twang. Once he was satisfied he pushed the bow into Aragorn's hands and giving him an arrow._

_The young man notched it like he had seen others do and looked to a twin who gave him a nod. He drew the arrow back to where the end of it was tickling his ear and he straightened his elbow and released the arrow. It didn't hit the target at all and instead tore through a flower pot that was on a nearby patio, his head turned to the twins and he gave them the bow._

_"I'm going back to the library," he said but the twins grabbed him again._

_"Don't be like that!"_

_"Leave me be," he replied._

_Taking his leave of the two after shrugging off their hands and made his way to the library, set on something that the two devils wanted to know.  
_

_Days he had spent looking for a cure to his ailment, to the festering presence in his heart and mind. It plagued him for years and got worse after his emotions faded into nonexistence, he was fine with this but he wanted to know why they were gone. Why the healers couldn't help him, or why it had never been recorded by the healers._

_He wanted to know everything._

_It was a sickening feeling, one that made him want to run off into the wilds and seek something that would complete him, so he spent much of his time searching for the answer to his ailment. Alas, he had yet to find the cause or a way to alleviate it but he kept on going with his research. Hoping to find something that could help him, anything at this point._

_One day it became to much for him, the pull on his soul to the pestering of the twins and it all boiled down to the fact that he couldn't find anything. Then he was dragged back to the training grounds, where the archery equipment was set up again._

_"Just try it please!"_

_"No."_

_"Come on Estel!"_

_"No."_

_Those pests had forced in to hold the bow and notch the arrow but the second they began to correct his form and make him shoot at a moving target, which was Lindir holding a target, he snapped. His patience and control gone and his hands heated up when they grabbed him hand to help his aim, then the flames started all of the sudden. All the time he spent refusing the pull just for the sake of the elf who took him so graciously into his home had erupted._

_The smell of burning flash hit his nose and he looked down to the two elves who were engulfed in flames and rolling on the ground. Desperate to put the fires out, and without a second glance at their agony, their burning ears and hair, he fled. With no time to get any provisions he had immediately left, in order to escape imprisonment. Yes, yes, that was his reason. So he followed his heart and left the burning elves to Lindir's care, the man would be able to fix what he had done._

_Soon after he left Rivendell in his now ragged robes he met a hobbit, dwarf, and elf; all with the same pull that he had._

"Estel, welcome home," they said as they made a sweeping motion with the arms as they bent at the waist.

Home, was this truly his home?

No, home was Eryn Vorn.

Home was Fili, Legolas, and Belle.

He had home with him, but here he was being accepted with arms wide open.

"Ready to learn how to shoot a bow and arrow?" they asked at the same time.

"Yeah, I am."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! I'm really happy that my writing skills are expanding! My chapters are getting longer and I hold you all like that.
> 
> Ragehappy Mavin Fan  
> (A.K.A. Rhohel_of_the_Shire)


	4. The Breeze That Made the Hurricane

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Is Air that hard to Master?"
> 
> Legolas nodded and Fili sighed.
> 
> "It was the same with Earth, its just so... stubborn. Don't worry though you'll get it soon," Fili reassured the elf, who smiled at the encouragement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sincerely hoping you guys are like this, and I'm sorry if anyone is waiting for me to update my other stories. I just can't help myself when it comes to new ideas of fics.
> 
> Pairings: Belle Baggins/Aragorn
> 
> Belle Baggins/Legolas Greenleaf
> 
> Belle Baggins/Fili (I like this paring the most)
> 
> Rating: T
> 
> The Hobbit belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien.

He used to be one of the most important figures in Mirkwood, or what he used to know as the Greenwood. There was only one person with more power than him and that was his father, Thranduil. Here, in Eryn Vorn, he was treated just like any other elf and it made him happy; but at the same time he was frustrated since he could never convey his thoughts to others without restrictions.

If Legolas wanted to talk to someone else he would have to make sure he was carrying some paper and charcoal with him.

Some of the times he didn't even try to communicate with the other Air Benders, all of them were Masters and he was the only Apprentice for that Spring when the four arrived at Eryn Vorn. So his two Masters were the closest to him besides Fili, Belle, and Aragorn; though it hardly mattered to the elf. For he was happy in the trees, in the air, and anywhere that gave him freedom really.

Legolas was the most happy out in the open and really hated to be confined to rooms for large amounts of time; he took to sleeping in a hammock hanging hundreds of feet off the ground. Other Air Benders slept like this but in a hammock in their own house, and since the Air Dorms were empty the Air Masters were more than happy to let Legolas do as he pleased. As long as it didn't hurt anyone or kill him; his own Masters being alarmed at the thought that one wrong turn in his hammock could send the prince to his death. They later learned he was a serene sleeper that rarely moved in his bed, and let the issue go without an argument.

His masters were peculiar to say the least, both were elves and were rather intimate with the other.

Faenion and Ellahir were his Masters and they were quite possibly the most passionate people he had ever met; both had claimed they were simple wood carvers from the Mirkwood. Both knew him and over time he grew to understand them; they had originally left the Mirkwood together after evil began to creep into the once lush forest. They claimed that they had carved for many of Thranduil's court and even for the king himself!

"I remember it like yesterday my Prince. A courier had arrived at our workshop with a sealed message from your father, and inside was an invitation to the Palace. We wore the best we had and arrived at the correct date at the right time and were shown to the King and Queen. Your mother was heavily pregnant with you and requested a crib. One that could be mobile and easily accessed," Faenion began one day.

"She wanted wheels on the bottom of the legs so your Father could easily move the crib to their bedside at night, and we worked on that damned thing night and day. Trying to find different ways to make the thing move and it was made of the most expensive materials we had available. We carved it from great blocks of yew," Ellahir grinned as he remembered the crib Legolas had as a babe.

His other Master obviously wanted to put his own gold in the tale, "It was a completely round crib and we spent most of our money and time on it."

"Then we presented it to the Queen and she absolutely loved it."

"Completely, but your father was not so easily swayed and managed to find the smallest chip on the side of a wheel," Faenion lamented.

"We had to re-do the entire thing! And this time out of red cherry wood instead of the yew the King requested, your mother just kept changing her mind on the kinds of wood we had available and what she wanted," Ellahir continued where his husband left off. Legolas merely listened to their story as they told him of the different times they made his crib.

"Three times, we made that crib three times. Each time the King found something wrong and eventually your mother was set on a birch wood crib with the history of your forefathers carved into the sides painstakingly. Her command to keep the crib saved us our sanity and she would not be swayed to change anything about it," finished Ellahir.

Legolas smirked at the thought of his mother overruling his father but it was a bittersweet thought; he couldn't remember that much of his mother. There was nothing left to remind any of the late Queen of the Greenwood and all he had left was fading memories of the Queen. He grabbed his charcoal and journal and wrote to the two.

**My father always had a critical eye.**

"Critical eye? More like impossible expectations," Faenion laughed out.

**What was she like?**

Ellahir smiled as he remembered the radiant Queen, "Ah, a lucky man many called your father. She came from humble beginnings in Lorien and I met her when I was training to be a member of the Guard. Never made the cut, but she really did make the room brighten when she walked into it." Legolas was only in his third century of life when she passed, too young to really remember his mother.

"She always had a trail of suitors after her and turned down each one of them! Then your father came along and she told him no as well," Faenion told him.

"Daft bastard couldn't take no for an answer," Ellahir commented from his spot from Faenion's lap.

"Spitfire she was."

**I wish there was something of her in the Palace. There is no memory, nothing of her at all. Her gems of starlight are in a dragon's hoard and Father never talks about her.**

"Can you blame him?" Faenion asked.

"If I lost Fae, then I wouldn't know what to do if I survived from Fading. He's a strong man and I believed he only held on for so long is because of you, my Prince. You're the only evidence that you mother ever lived," Ellahir pointed out. His long brown hair was caressed by Faenion's slender fingers as they slid through his hair.

**You think he still lives?**

"Somewhere in his heart he knows you do, and so he lives for the day he can see you," Ellahir smiled at the Prince reassuringly, "It is all he has left in this life." Legolas nodded as the two elves grew mischievous all the sudden, and Ellahir rose his head out of his husband's lap and looked to the Prince.

"What about you? Do you have a reason to live?" Faenion asked.

"I've seen you walking about with that grin on your face, don't try to fool me. Who's the lass or lad you fancy?" Ellahir questioned.

**I hardly know what your talking about!** Legolas wrote as fast as he could before throwing the journal at Faenion. He gulped when the blonde didn't just read that message but he skimmed through the pages previous, trying to find something that proved their suspicious. The prince jumped up in an attempt to take his journal back but Ellahir held him down.

The grin on Faenion's face had him on edge as he found one page in particular, and all Legolas could do was shake his head furiously when he began to read. "My dear Belle you need not ask for help, I will always provide it!" he read out as the prince tried to elbow his way to Faenion. Ellahir held him tightly as his husband read out the sappy sentences from Legolas and Belle's conversations. "Your laugh is like bells, how can you forget the sound of that? It is like the chiming bells in the Summer breeze. If anything you should rem-" before he could say more Legolas had managed to get out from Ellahir's hold and tackled the blonde.

He grabbed the journal and stuffed it into his pocket with a blush on his face, and Ellahir couldn't help but to tease the poor prince.

"Belle, is that her name? A beautiful name for a beautiful laugh," Legolas tried not to look at the two Masters.

"A hobbit name is that not?" Faenion asked and was rewarded with a nod.

"I think I know her, Hildigard's apprentice is she not?"

"Yeah that might be her, little lass with them big eyes?" the blonde asked Legolas but the prince just refused to answer anymore. The blush on his face was a permanent red and the two Masters relented in their attacks. "Sorry, its just so fun to rile you up," Faenion told him with a pat on the shoulder. Legolas shrugged off his Master's hand and refused to interact with them at that point.

"Legolas!" Ellahir called out playfully, "We're only messing with you!"

He still didn't respond.

"Fine, you were done with the day's lesson anyways. Be back at the height of the night for your next lessons," Faenion acquiesced. The prince nodded before walking off, leaving the two Masters in the clearing by themselves. "Sometimes I worry for him Ellahir, I really do," the blonde Master murmured quietly.

"At least he has someone to reign him in. That Belle lass may be young but she has a good head on her shoulders, she'll know what to do with him."

"He's not the only one she worries about."

"I know Fae, but if Legolas is anything like King Thranduil then he has no problem."

"I hope so Ellahir, I really do."

~.~.~.

Anger coursed through his veins as he fell for the fifth time that night; the branches slicing his body as he fell through the canopy and towards the forest floor. The Air around him refused to conform to his will and he crashed into the ground harshly.

"Try again Legolas."

"The Air is a patient Element and it takes time to master any technique."

Despite Faenion and Ellahir giving him encouragement the prince couldn't find his peace and silently cursed his luck, he was very impatient and Air took time to Master. By this time in his life he felt as if Eru was laughing at him, for it was a pain trying to keep his cool while learning. While Legolas was used to working hard to accomplish his goals he wasn't used to working so long to do so. As an elfling he mastered archery without a problem, and he even beat the best swordsmen in spars only months after his first lesson.

It was his second year apprenticing under Faenion and Ellahir, he had yet to perform half of the techniques he learned without a hitch. There was only a handful of techniques that he had perfected but Faenion and Ellahir had been practicing their Element for many centuries and they technically claimed the title of the eldest Masters but they were immortal beings. The other races mainly focused on age in their own way of determining seniority and excluded the elves from that, so the Fire Master Willow was the oldest Master in the three other races.

The two elves from Mirkwood had seen Eryn Vorn grow over the years and watched fellow Masters come and go, and to them seniority didn't really matter. All they really needed in this world was the other.

"Legolas, do you want to retire for the night?" Faenion asked from his perch on a tree branch. The prince nodded from his small crater in the ground and pulled himself onto his feet, and he cringed at the pain that engulfed his left arm. "Go see the Water Benders before you go to dinner!" the blonde yelled as he and Ellahir gently soared through the air towards the town.

With a slight limp he made his way over to the Water Masters' houses; he figured that if were to bother anyone at night it might as well be Belle, since she was a friend. The little hobbit would no doubt help him if she were awake, but it would only be if she were awake; Legolas had no desire to wake the girl. Her house was small as befitting a hobbit, and it was nestled in the branches of an old yew tree.

He pushed open her door cautiously and stepped into the small building and having to hunch down in order to keep from hitting his head on the low ceilings. A small light in her study flickered and he made his way over to the doorway.

Communication between the two was a daily battle that they fought, and if Legolas didn't have his journal with him he would try to mouth the words he wanted to say to her. Her eyes were normally vigilant and caught mouth movement easily though sometimes it would tire her out as she deciphered the words spoken, or in his case not spoken. Most of the time it was either Fili or Aragorn that helped convey messages for the two and it was mainly Legolas' side of the conversation that needed conveying.

In a small chair next to a desk was Belle, her arm was strewn across her little desk and he smirked at the shattered glass bottle of ink on the ground. Her little fingers were still wrapped around a quill in her slumber and the few books she had were thrown on the floor. Her long curly hair was spread around her head like a halo as her large feet dangled just inches above the ground. Legolas smiled at the hobbit before picking her up carefully and bringing her to her bedroom; he cringed silently when he hit his head on the low doorway.

Her room was bare with only a tiny chest and a small bed with a single pillow and a thick wool blanket; Legolas nudged the blanket aside and lay her down. Even though his arm was throbbing in pain the elf ignored his needs in favor for the young hobbit getting her sleep, she needed it more than he needed healing.

Belle took on a separate occupation and she was an assistant to the librarian, and while there wasn't a lot of books in Eryn Vorn the little library made up for it. An Earth Master called Gilraen looked over the small archives, he was the child of an elf and a human; the Master was also a damn good father of three little elflings. He had made the library his project and wrote book after book concerning the Elements, and in order to be able to spend more time writing he got an assistant. Belle just so happened to be the person who got the position, but by the Valar was it taking much of her strength.

There were words that he wanted so desperately to say in that moment and he couldn't. It killed him to know that Belle would never know what he sounded like, and it hurt more that he wouldn't be able to even utter words to her. He cursed himself for this folly but he wouldn't place blame on any at all; he understood what his father was going through when he suffered from the Call. Legolas was the only thing that Thranduil had to cherish in this life and he couldn't blame Thranduil when he selfishly tried to keep that happiness.

But in this moment the prince would love nothing more than to say 'Sleep well Belle.'

His heart clenched as he pulled her blanket over her body and turned to leave her house, and he knew it was likely that she would not even know he had been there. It was alright, he would not begrudge her for such a thing.

Legolas stretched the moment he left her house and grimaced at the sore muscles being pulled on, he'll ask her on the morrow if she can heal his arm but for now he would endure. For now sleep sounded good.

His hammock rested far above the other buildings in the trees and it gave him the closest place near the stars. It made him feel like he was back in the Woodland Realm and his father would be by his room with his evening meal before-

No, he refused to think of the decades he spent locked away from the world; Legolas would not wish that kind of torture upon anybody. Back in those days Legolas was painfully aware of his fading voice, seeing as it was the only sound that filled his large and empty room. He wished for the time were he had been allowed to jump along the trees and feel the wind on his face. In that time he had been cut off from the outside completely and Legolas wanted nothing more than to feel the air blow his hair into tangles.

"Legolas?" the elf turned quickly on the balls of his feet and looked to the young dwarf behind him.

Fili was rather quite for a dwarf and was the exact opposite of what his father told him dwarves were. This one was not greedy, vain, or self-centered; no he had a golden heart and was quite generous and trusting for a dwarf. If Legolas had to trust anyone to have his back it would be Fili.

He nodded his head in acknowledgement and Fili spoke clearly, "Is Belle asleep?"

The elf nodded and Fili looked straightforward, and it slightly unnerved him how the blind dwarf could stare directly into his eyes. "I hope you've been well. Has your road to Mastery been going good?" Legolas shook his head and gestured for Fili to walk with him and the dwarf grinned brightly at the invitation and followed the elf. Legolas was leading him to his hammock and smiled as he walked up the little spiral staircase that he made go up the tree his hammock rested in.

"Is Air that hard to Master?"

Legolas nodded and Fili sighed.

"It was the same with Earth, its just so... stubborn. Don't worry though you'll get it soon," Fili reassured the elf, who smiled at the encouragement. The dwarf frowned when he felt the vibrations in the tree slowly run out from his field of feeling. "Where are we?" he asked but got no answer in return. His eyes widened when he felt Legolas leave his view and then appear suddenly as if suspended with only a few pieces of rope holding him up.

"You bastard! Scared the life outta me, thought you fell off the tree," Fili exclaimed as he felt the vibrations move once more. He took that as a sign to continue talking, "I wonder what you sound like, and I wonder what you look like. Hell I wonder what everyone looks like," he murmured as he took a seat on the branch that supported one of Legolas' ropes. "Its hard not being able to see, but it may be harder not talking or not hearing. I can hardly imagine what you and Belle go through," he smiled softly as he gazed upwards to the sky.

"I miss seeing the stars with my brother, I miss being able to watch the leaves rustle in the wind. I guess you miss being able to tell someone 'Good morning' or 'How have you been'. It must have been tough for you huh? Roughing it out for centuries without a voice," Fili droned on. Legolas raised an eyebrow from his hammock and looked at the dwarf, normally the young Master was rather ignorant to the world. Now, however, he had shown that he was far more observant than he was given credit for.

"See you later Legolas, and I'll just assume you want to say 'Bye Master Fili'. Just an assumption of course since you could be wishing my death instead," and if he could Legolas would have laughed, "Bye!" The prince smiled as he heard the pitter of Fili's steps get softer and softer, eventually leaving him all alone in the trees with his thoughts.

Yes it was hard not being able to talk with others, but it was something he had grown used to. Legolas was okay with people looking down on him for his Punishment as it was their opinion and not his. Another bright side was the fact that Thranduil's Council might never see him as an heir, they probably never had since he was young. It wasn't like he even wanted to be a King.

If anything he would much rather be happy, just like Faenion and Ellahir; to find the person he wouldn't live without.

**_I think I found that person, I think I could never live if Belle died._ **

He smiled as his arm pulsed in pain.

_**Yes, if she were to perish in this cruel world, I would surely follow.** _

~.~.~.

"Winner Legolas! Next opponent is the Master of Air, Faenion, please step forward!"

Legolas watched as Ellahir limped out of the Arena and felt at his head, hands making sure his hair was still there and was soon disappointed to find that a chunk was cut underneath his ear. "Get some of his hair for me Fae!" the brunette called out, "Make him bleed!"

The prince and Master took their stances and waited for the presiding Air Master to call for them to begin, both blondes were calculating the other. Looking for any sort of blind spot or opening in which they could strike. "Begin!" and the two kept their stances as they started to circle around. Legolas watching Faenion's feet and without hesitation he sent a gust of wind after he saw the slightest opening.

Faenion cartwheeled over the gust of air and let himself fall forward before quickly catching himself with an arm; he retaliated by kicking his foot out to swipe the Prince off his feet. He wasn't expecting Legolas to perform a roundhouse kick and nail him in the face, the Master was sent flying as Legolas' kick forced him to the edge of the Arena. He had to get on the offensive if he wanted to have a fighting chance.

The blonde was proud of his student, he had taught Legolas to be ruthless and unrelenting in a fight. He had the upper hand and he was determined to keep it, even if it meant really injuring Faenion.

He felt his back hit the rough wood that separated the Arena from the official stands, where the other Air Masters sat, and coughed a little. His bright green eyes widening at the sight of blood staining his white pants. Faenion got to his feet quickly enough to avoid a sharp slice of wind by tucking down and rolling under the Wind. Using his weight to pop his back onto his feet he immediately noticed a difference, his head felt lighter.

Fuck no.

His student just stared in shock as Faenion felt at his hair and noticed it was sharply cut at an angle right by the top of his shoulders. The elves and dwarves in the audience were mute as the Master's fury grew, and Legolas watched in slight horror as those emerald sharp eyes flicked to him. From the sidelines Ellahir merely sat in his seat and watched as his husband's luscious blonde hair flutter in the wind. The Water Bender next to him did even spare a glance as he was human and didn't take hair to the extremes like they did.

Taking a strong stance Legolas waited for the Master to begin his assault and let him take the strike, it was payment for his hair as well as Ellahir's. It was a second later when he felt it, a strong gale that blew him off his feet. Legolas would have cried out in pain as he flipped through the air with very little grace and hit the unforgiving ground. His leg flared in agony as he rolled onto his feet and he looked to see his white pants lashed open and soaked with his blood. His own hair remained intact as he was assaulted with a barrage of attacks.

The wind cut his body wherever possible, his exposed torso and arms were slashed with the piercing winds and he raised his arms to protect his face. Before he knew it Faenion was in front of him and drop kicked the prince square in the chest and watched with satisfaction as he was literally sent through the wooden stands. His body was severely wounded and all he wanted to do was sleep.

But he wanted to be a Master more.

He struggled as he pulled himself up using the broken wood of the stands' support beams, and with great effort he circled his left hand around the right. Bending the surrounding air into a little ball of swirling gales and watched with anxiety as it got bigger and bigger as Faenion got closer and closer. "Come out Legolas!" the Master baited as Legolas bent more and more air into the ball. A crazy idea went through his head for a second, but fuck it why not?

Faenion grinned as he approached the hole in the stands and the Masters leaned towards him slightly, trying to get a good look at what was happening. Without warning Legolas burst out from beneath the stands on a ball of air that he stabilized with one foot while his other leg was folded underneath his bottom. His arms were kept close together but with a small flick of his hands he sent Faenion back a few feet.

Before completely obliterating him with the little ball of air.

The prince jumped off the ball and used his arms to keep the ball in motion and sent it directly to Faenion where it shredded him to pieces, figuratively of course.

When the Master couldn't be woken by the proctor he grinned brightly when he heard, "Winner is the Master of Air, Legolas!"

He did it, he was finally a Master after so long and all he could think of in that moment was _**Fuck yeah!**_

A Water Bender had come up to him and offered to heal him wounds, which he declined as politely as he could; this was his history. It showed the hardships he had been through and the fact that he had triumphed over them. They would not turn into scars, something ugly that marred the perfect porcelain that was his skin; no, instead he viewed them like tattoos. Something that enhanced beauty not deteriorate it.

"My the Wind guide your heart Master Legolas," the proctor said and Legolas nodded in acknowledgement.

Taking his leave from the Arena, Legolas made his way to the Mess Hall. His wounds were clotting nicely as his muscles stretched and pulled at the wounds and while some tore further. Despite all that the smile on his face never once faded and he slipped through the doors and made his way towards the Fire Benders table. Aragorn looked up from the corner of his eye as he cut into a piece of chicken on his plate and took in the elf's appearance.

"Have you become a Master?" he asked in his monotone voice and that grin on his face answers his question. He had just turned twenty-three and was currently taking on his fourth class, while Legolas had quite literally just became a Master.

"Who's a Master?" Fili asked as he climbed into his seat with Belle taking the one next to Legolas.

"He is. By the looks of it just recently," Aragorn commented as he ate his food.

"Are you okay? Do you want me to heal you?" Belle worried over him but the elf just smiled and shook his head. She nodded but kept that look on her face, the one that made him want to let her do as she pleased, and he nearly cracked then and there. While he really didn't want to worry her, he also didn't want to give these trophies up.

Fili grabbed a bunch of rolls and some slices of ham from the large platters, while making little sandwiches he saw a bowl of mashed potatoes. He shrugged and plated some on his plate and Belle's plate. "Don't worry about him Belle. He's like me a little, remember when I left the Arena with that huge gash on my back and wanted to keep it? Its like that, its a symbol of our victory," he said as he passed a couple sandwiches over to her. His bad table manners always grated on her nerves and she berated him when he got on the table to hand Aragorn and Legolas their own sandwiches.

"Sorry," he murmured sheepishly as he sat back down.

Legolas was amused to say the least, since he had first met the hobbit he had noticed a certain demeanor about her. She held herself like people in his father's court, her chin up and her manners never far. Belle had been very adamant that they used their manners like any hobbit would, and they didn't have the heart to correct her. Well, Aragorn did but both he and Fili made sure that he didn't say anything to upset her.

The hobbit and elf had taken some lettuce to put on their sandwiches as well as some condiments, while Aragorn just finished off his chicken before digging into the food Fili gave him. It wasn't often that they ate together, but they did every now and then.

"Congratulations Legolas, I knew that you would beat Faenion and Ellahir!" Belle chirped, trying to let her worry calm.

"I heard from some Air Masters that he chopped off Faenion's hair!" the blind dwarf added as he scarfed down his potatoes.

"Manners Fili!"

"Sorry!"

Aragorn looked at Legolas and inquired if that was indeed the truth and Legolas nodded, his face guilty as he remembered how he took both Master's hair albeit Ellahir only had a little gone. "Mahal Legolas, you didn't have to take their hair!" Fili cried out. The elf cursed the fact he didn't have his journal or charcoal with him and looked at Belle with a defeated look on his face.

"I'm sure he didn't mean to," she said and Legolas nodded frantically, "See!"

Sometimes the hobbit was just as benevolent as Yavanna herself.

~.~.~.

The blonde elf didn't move once from Belle's bedside, he had been there holding her hand as they took out the arrow. He wiped the sweat off her face as the healers stitched her wound up, and he held her down when the elves had applied a poultice to her wounds. Legolas willed away her tears of pain as she jerked in the aftershocks, her phantom wounds kept her awake in the night.

All this time he had not once thought about leaving her alone in this pain, even going as far to request some thread and needles from the Rivendell Elves to repair his clothing. Anything to keep him idle and by her side, since it was the least he could do. For she had done so much more for him, many things that he couldn't even dream of doing for her.

He wasn't the only one that stayed near Belle through the entire ordeal.

Belladonna was very stubborn just like her daughter and did the things that Legolas didn't do, such as change her daughter's clothes. Or get the girl to the bathroom so she could relieve herself, and she sure as hell was not letting the elf bathe her. The woman would just hold her daughter tight whenever Legolas slept at night and sang softly into the ear's that couldn't hear.

It killed her knowing that her precious baby girl would never be able to listen to her mother's songs, to never hear the comforting lyrics that would have calmed down anyone. She was forever alone in her silent world and it broke Belladonna's heart, or rather completely shatter what was left of its remains.

Fili had curled himself at the bottom of her bed in the first three days, taking his place as her silent guard dog. He jolted whenever someone entered the room but calmed down after he realized that they meant no harm.

Last but not least was Aragorn, who spent every spare moment with her, and he kept a vigilant watch in the corner of the room. Whenever she was awake he kept her company just like the others did, not wanting her to feel alone at all. His traitorous heart was screaming in jealousy when Legolas or Fili held her in their arms, but he always pushed it back.

He did his best to keep himself in check but in his mind he knew that he had to let himself feel this emotion; especially after being without it for so long.

The Company didn't really try to keep them from Belle and the Benders and Belladonna didn't attempt to get near them; they were more than happy to stay with Belle in the healing ward. Her shoulder was sore by the end of the first week and she was sorely sorry that she missed the dwarves eating dinner, because if it was as funny as Fili told her than she missed out big time.

"Do it again!" one of the twins exclaimed as they watched Legolas zoom around on his little air scooter as Belle called it. The company were playing a very dangerous game of toss-the-vase while Thorin and Balin watched with mirth. Belle smiled as she felt the area she was shot in. The young hobbit followed the others examples and decided to keep her scar proudly. It remained hidden under the dress her mother made during her spare time on the road and Belle just adored the dress, because it reminded her of the Shire dresses she grew out of as a faunt.

Belle giggled as the twins tried to catch Legolas as Fili and Kili spent some overdue time together; the two running through the gardens and fighting like any underage dwarf would.

She watched happily when she felt a tap on her shoulder and the Lord Elrond stood before her, and a very flustered Belle got to her feet and bowed. Though the lord was taking none of that, he calmed her with a hand raised and he gathered the attention of all in the courtyard. "I need to speak with Thorin Oakenshield as well as Estel, Legolas, Fili, and Belle. If you do not mind, then please follow me," he turned in a very elegant manner. Leaving the entire group there in a stupor until Thorin and Balin began to follow Elrond.

She looked at Aragorn and Legolas as they made their way to her and Fili ran over, not wanting to be left behind.

"What do you think this is about?"

"I don't know Belle," Fili said and in his mind Legolas mirrored his words.

The Prince of Mirkwood felt just a little apprehensive about the lord's need for them to be there, but followed none the less.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fili's little back story is coming up next! Hope you all enjoy!
> 
> Ragehappy Mavin Fan  
> (A.K.A Rhohel_of_the_Shire)

**Author's Note:**

> I hope that you guys like the start to this!
> 
> The horse stance is the stance in Avatar: The Last Airbender that Uncle Iroh taught the man who tried to rob him in Ba Sing See, during the time Appa was kidnapped. Many of the attacks and moves that I used were inspired by different modes of transportation that people in Avatar used.
> 
> Ragehappy Mavin Fan  
> (A.K.A Rhohel_of_the_Shire)


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